'Joyful and Inspirational' Ultra-Marathon Runner Dies While Trying to Beat Record in Honor of Late Friend

David Parrish Credit: David Parrish/Facebook NEED TO KNOW Ultra-marathon runner David Parrish has died while racing along the Cape Wrath Trail in memory of his late friend who died while running in 2014 The 35-year-old was found dead on Saturday, April 11 in Kintail, a mountainous area in the Scottish Highlands He was raising money for Scottish Mountain Rescue by aiming to break the record for the fastest time to complete the trail An ultra-marathon champion has died in the Scottish Highlands while running in memory of his late friend. David Parrish, 35, was aiming to beat the record for the fastest person to complete the 234-mile Cape Wrath Trail, which goes from the town of Fort William to Cape Wrath along Scotland's northern coast, the BBC and The Guardian reported. Parrish was found in Kintail, a remote mountainous area, on Saturday, April 11.

Police Scotland said he was found at about 10:25 p. m. local time.

They added in a statement to the BBC that "there are no suspicious circumstances and his next of kin are aware. " David Parrish seen running Credit: David Parrish/Facebook Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A former Royal Marine from the Scottish town of Dumfries, Parrish was an experienced ultra-marathon runner and won the Cape Wrath Trail race in 2023.

The record, however, is held by Pawel Cymbalista, who completed the trail that same year in three days, 14 hours, 49 minutes and 19 seconds, the BBC reported at the time. The trail is often considered one of the most challenging routes in the U. K.